


Summer Dreams (The Genie Fic)

by solairyte



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Genie/Djinn, Bickering, Fluff, Japanese Keith (Voltron), Japanese Korean Keith (Voltron), Japanese Shiro (Voltron), Korean Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Speaks Spanish, Languages and Linguistics, M/M, Multilingual Character, My First Work in This Fandom, Shiro (Voltron) is Missing, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Trans Pidge | Katie Holt, fuck space, genie!Lance, hes exploring, im multilingual too so i know how languages work don't worry, keith is an orphan but has a family, kidding hes just on a trip, klance, sometimes things that are more expensive are worse, warning grocery shopping, warning vegetable abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:07:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25288054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solairyte/pseuds/solairyte
Summary: “Are you floating.” The Ice Queen was back.“-what? What, yeah,” his mortal enemy said, looking down at himself. “Dude, you didn’t notice? I’ve been like this the whole time!”---Lance is a genie.Keith is not thrilled.
Relationships: Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Kudos: 8





	Summer Dreams (The Genie Fic)

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys im back with this fic and it's still safe for emotional investment so it will be finished i won't leave anyone hanging
> 
> \---  
> Heads up, the setting is an alternate Earth with a kinda solar!punk vibe
> 
> translations on hover!
> 
> Relevant Stuff:  
> macho pecho peludo = (slang) big macho man, which I first heard from the youtuber HolaSoyGerman  
> 붕어빵 = bungeoppang, literally goldfish bread; Korean fish-shaped sweet bread filled with red bean, Japanese version has many more filling options

Keith Kim was no quitter.  
  


At least, that’s what he told himself as he lugged what felt like 30 pounds of groceries with both arms. It was only a little further to the apartment he shared with Shiro, but the sweat dripping into his eyes and the heat shimmer of the sidewalk made him feel like he was on an endless desert trek. _With a lot of baggage._

  
His thick bangs veiled his vision of the weathered road to his left and the small, colorful houses to his right; if he focused only on the tan concrete beneath him and the sandy, rock-gardened yards in his peripheral, he could almost imagine he was alone in an undeveloped world. Keith snorted at the image paired with his own distinctly not-astronaut-like huffing. He was almost felled by the grocery store; if he were alone and foraging for his own food, he was pretty sure immediate death was the only option on the table.

  
He tried shaking his sweaty hair away from his face so he could look at something other than his ratty tennis shoes, but the black strands fell uncomfortably back into his stinging eyes.  
  


He sighed, giving up on seeing where he was going. _Thank god I at least wore these stupid fingerless gloves._ If it weren’t for the tough black fabric protecting his palms from the friction of his hundred groceries, Keith wasn’t sure he would be making it home with all his fingers.

  
_All this because I’ve been living on ramen for 3 weeks…._ It had taken him that long to accept that Shiro would not magically reappear to make him meals. Now his mass grocery trip had resulted in milk for days, straining arm muscles, and several vegetables that he was uncertain how to cook.

  
_How hard can an eggplant really be_ – _ow_! Keith flinched as a harsh white glint suddenly occupied his limited vision. He squinted at a sun-struck gold something – _a bracelet?_ – wedged between the sidewalk and someone’s pebbles and summer-green pink muhly grass arrangement.

  
He moved so his shadow blocked the blazing sunlight and squinted for a closer look. It was an intricately detailed, heavy-looking cuff: open on one end with rounded edges, only an inch or two in width and probably too large for his wrist – Keith hesitated for a minute, fighting the weight of his many bags. On one hand, he wasn’t sure he could pick his mess of fabrics and plastic back up if he dared to put them down, but on the other hand, he did like collecting shiny things…

  
An ominous shift of weight in one of the bags decided it for him and he began to stride away. Besides, it probably belongs to one of the neighbor’s kids, he thought with a touch of regret. Really, he should be more concerned with dropping something on the street and ruining it before he has the chance to ruin it with his cooking attempts, instead of yearning for abandoned jewelry in the dirt like a freak –

  
“Hey! Dude, are you seriously walking away right now?”  
  


Keith froze, startled. He particularly did not like that tone when his arms were this full, but Keith Kim, for better or for worse, never walked away from a challenge. He missed his leather jacket. _No one messes with me when I’m wearing leather._

  
He turned carefully, projecting as much arrogance as he could muster given his dumb hair and distinctly unintimidating red tank and black basketball shorts combo, a carefully frigid glare ready to destroy the voice looking for a fight. Shiro had always laughed at Keith’s Ice Queen face, but Shiro hadn’t seen where he was living before…

  
Keith’s eyes widened. Where he had expected an armed punk ready to mug the sucker slowed down by approximately 50 pounds of groceries, he saw a lanky boy around his age standing a few feet behind him, arms crossed and – sulking? At first glance the kid didn’t look like a threat, but Keith himself had often defied expectations.  
  
_  
And there was no one around me a second ago._ Keith let his eyes narrow and didn’t drop his arrogant front, keeping his gaze locked to his harasser’s steely blue eyes.

  
He waited for any hints of a sudden move to cross the kid’s almost comically expressive face, stayed tense and ready to retaliate– _a gallon of milk to the face would take him down but would the mess be worth it, maybe the 20 pack of ramen?_ – but his opponent’s warm brown skin conveyed nothing but irritation, as if _Keith_ was the one harassing passerby. Keith was pretty sure he hated the kid already.  
  
  
The punk’s dark brown hair didn’t have a strand out of place even in the heavy heat, Keith noted. He suddenly hoped his own face wasn’t too red. _I won’t put the groceries down_ , he decided and made sure his arms looked extra flexed to compensate for whatever hideousness the heat had brought out in his own hair.  
  
  
Angular blue eyes flickered to his arms. “Dude, did you just – did you just _flex_ at me?” Their silent stand-off ended as the kid’s irritation melted into open mirth, but his tone sounded more mocking than friendly. Keith frowned. “And this isn’t Pokémon either dude, like what the hell, are you gonna just stare me down all _macho pecho peludo_?”

  
Keith didn’t understand the Spanish phrase fully, but he knew he didn’t like the burst of snickers that followed it. His body shifted from red-alert defensive to ready to throw the first punch.

  
“Only _bozos_ laugh at their own jokes,” Keith said finally, voice flat. He lowered his groceries slowly to his side – but not to the ground! He wasn’t about to show weakness in front of this brat – and he carefully hid his smugness when the other boy’s eyes followed the languid curl of his arms. It didn’t knock the mocking look of his face, though. _Maybe I need to work out more,_ Keith noted thoughtfully. _This doesn’t happen when Shiro does it._  
  
  
“Bo- _Bozo?_ Nobody in this century uses that word, dude, you basically just insulted yourself!”  
  
  
His opponent’s eyes had a cocky look to them, even when they flashed with intrigue as Keith smirked viciously. “I thought it suited present company.”  
  
  
The other boy squawked in outrage and pointed ridiculously to himself with both hands. Keith just held his smirk. “Excuse you! I am hip! Unlike someone here who is wearing _fingerless gloves_ , I am in tune to the current decade! I’m so in tune I’m a radio! I’m post-radio! I’m an iPhone X Plus Deluxe!”  
  
  
Keith rolled his eyes and tuned out, calculating how much longer he had to get home. If it took only one insult to turn this kid into a steam engine of nonsense, Keith faced more of a threat from what his groceries were doing to his arms. Keith idly looked down from the sharp face that was now arguing to no one that “soon iPhones will just be implanted into your brain anyway! Besides, you’re one to talk! The eighties called, they want their hair back!” taking in a swimmer’s build that was – _how_ –  
  
  
“Are you _floating_.” The Ice Queen was back.  
  
  
“ – what? What, yeah,” his mortal enemy said, glancing down at himself. “Bro, you didn’t notice? I’ve been like this the whole time!” His thin blue sweatshirt faded down into a shimmery gray mist that moved miasmically in the humid air, looking weirdly alive. It tapered away in a sinuous curve to a thin tendril which seemed tethered to the ground…to the bracelet? _The fucking bracelet_. Keith considered fainting so his world could reset to normalcy. _Bonus, can’t be hysterical if I’m dead._ _No, but the eggplant!_ Besides, Keith had a feeling if he lost consciousness with this guy he would wake up with sharpie all over his face.  
  
  
“What, that’s it?” The stranger who was part _mist_ _(WHAT THE FUCK!)_ asked pointedly, an eyebrow raised and head cocked to the side like an insult. There was an annoying lilt to his voice that cut deftly through Keith’s panic, pulled at his competitive side. Keith dragged his eyes away from the silver and met his gaze coolly. He kept his eyes there. Maybe if he waited long enough there would be legs, he decided. _Is it hot enough to hallucinate?_  
  
  
What he said aloud was, “What, were you expecting something?” Keith’s entire world was currently recalculating, but at least he knew he didn’t want to give this punk any kind of satisfaction. Keith shifted on his feet, but stayed where he was in an uneasy stasis. They were three sidewalk panes apart, too far and too close for him to make a clear decision between (physically) tackling this unknown or a strategic sprint in the other direction.  
  
  
At least he had his 70 pounds of groceries to keep himself grounded. Keith usually dreamed of flying robot cats, not reusable bags in 110% humidity and _PEOPLE WHO TURNED INTO MIST._  
  
  
The _BOY WHO TURNED INTO MIST_ was now rolling his eyes. “Alright, it’s almost not worth it if there’s no wow factor,” he muttered. Keith choked down his hysterical laughter when he realized that his foe had apparently _believed_ his calm exterior, but he kept his expression placid and lifted a brow as his face was carefully scrutinized, blue eyes peering for any sign of distress. There wouldn’t be any; Keith had learned to tamp that down early. _Thank god for small blessings._  
  
  
“Whatever, man,” the _BOY WHO TURNED INTO MIST_ finally complained and stretched with a blasé air.  
  
  
Keith glared, eye twitching. The deep v-neck of his thin blue hoodie revealed no shirt underneath, just flat dark skin. _So he must be affected by the real-world heat, right? That means he can be affected by real-world hits, too._ _I’ll kill him with the frozen 붕어빵 if I have to._  
  
  
The _PHYSICAL ANOMALY_ had apparently stretched himself into a new personality, because he was now looking at him with a wide sparkling grin, two thumbs pointed at his chest, topped with a ridiculous wink that tipped Keith ever closer to murder. “So, eighties freak, I’m Lance! And as you can see, I’m a genie,” This was accentuated by a careless gesture towards his lower body, as if Keith hadn’t already noticed the _MIST_. “Normally what happens is someone walks by here, they notice the bracelet and feel kind of drawn to it, they pick it up and _bam!_ They scream, I laugh, I grant them three wishes and wipe their memory and we all leave with a good time!  
  
  
“But for some reason, you –” Lance the _GENIE NO WAY NOPE_ squinted at him and – _dear god, why haven’t legs appeared yet_ – floated a bit closer. Keith resisted the urge to step back purely as a point of pride. “You, my man, decided to walk away without picking up the bracelet!”  
  
  
“What’s your problem.” Keith pitched his voice low and menacing so Lance the _BOY WHO IS FUCKING FLOATING_ couldn’t hear how hoarse he was.  
  
  
“You are!” the genie – _I swear to God why couldn’t this have happened to Shiro instead_ – threw his arms up and twirled away in exaggerated disgust. Keith wondered if this human – genie – _idiot_ was somehow a five-year-old in disguise. _Can he magically beat me up if he’s five? Can I magically wreck him? Can I hit a five-year-old?!_  
  
  
“Like I said, what’s your problem.”  
  
  
“ _You_ were supposed to pick up the bracelet, scream, drop some groceries, it would have been hilarious! Then three wishes because that haircut looks like you need some, let me tell you, and then we would have been on our merry way!” Lance the _BOY-GENIE WHO TURNED INTO MIST_ put his fists on his hips and leaned in belligerently, still tethered a few feet away. “Instead, you decided to walk past like some kinda tough guy, so I figured I’d pop up and help you out, but you’re no fun! What the fuck, man? What the hell is your life if a genie doesn’t even spook you! You didn’t drop a single bag! Rude!”  
  
  
Keith listened to this rant with growing outrage. _What kind of maniac just waits around jumping out at people?!_ He took a silent, slow breath, Shiro’s extensive anger-management lessons lingering like always in the back of his mind. _Silver lining, Keith. Find it_. At least he wasn’t worried about his hair anymore; and maintaining his 90 pounds of groceries at optimum flex height had been an excellent decision. Icing his arms all night was a small price to pay.  
  
  
“Well, _Lance_ , I didn’t realize I was ruining your great weekend plans. Sorry I didn’t fall for you.” He tipped his head towards the bracelet. Lance fumed and tinged red, and Keith smirked, pleased that his opponent wasn’t too dumb to catch his double meaning.  
  
  
“Don’t- don’t make it _weird_ , oh my god! I am here to help you! Look, you macho motherfu-“  
  
  
“Keith,” Keith supplied helpfully. Somehow, all the irritation this conversation had brought him was now becoming worth it – and he didn’t even have to deal with the guilt of Shiro’s disapproving face a good fight always brought.  
  
  
“-you _macho motherfucker_ , I am a fucking genie! You get three wishes, put on the – oh my god, forget it, _I’ll_ just-!“  
  
  
Suddenly, Lance the idiot was moving, a blur of blue and smoke in the hot sunlight. What the fuck- Keith stepped back, beginning to panic. _I didn’t know he could move around so fast!_ He tried to keep his eyes on the now fluid mist, trying to filter out the distractingly sharp gold glint to figure out where there was skin to punch, but before he could do anything at all there was cold metal against his tense bicep and a clammy sensation down his arm and sly blue eyes right in front of his face.  
  
  
“There,” Lance the dangerous genie said with satisfaction. His grin curled up his face. “Now you’re wearing the bracelet and I can grant you three wishes.”

Keith shivered a little. Where he had expected a warm puff of breath against his face, Lance hovering just a few inches away, he instead felt the same clamminess that was slowly dissipating from his arm. The feeling of cold metal remained, though.  
  
  
“Did you just-“ Keith narrowed his eyes, his blood running hot. _“Did you just put the bracelet on me yourself?”_  
  
  
He leaned in close, threatening, _I don’t give a fuck if he’s incorporeal_ , and allowed a dangerous sneer to flit across his face as Lance widened his eyes and leaned unconsciously out of his space.  
  
  
“Okay, uh, I do admit that in retrospect this was very nonconsensual and I am very sorry for not just talking you into putting it on yourself, but c’mon man! I’m a genie!” Lance looped away in a blur of blue-grey but rematerialized only a yard away. Keith noted with almost detached fury that Lance’s mist was now tethered to his _fucking arm_ , and the _fucking idiot_ apparently could not get any fucking further away. He glared daggers at the jewelry, unnaturally weightless and snug around his upper arm.  
  
  
“Look, look, I’m sorry, okay, stop making that face! Just make three wishes and it’ll pop right off and you can forgive me because of the awesome shit I’ll do for you, okay?”  
  
  
Keith snapped his head away from the cold bracelet to Lance’s stupid face, trying to burn him alive with his glare. “Are you trying to tell me,” he growled, “that this won’t come off unless I let you grant three of my wishes?”  
  
  
“What is that attitude for, dude, who doesn’t want wishes granted!” Lance crossed his arms, irritation starting to replace the contrition on his face. _Because somehow the genie gets to be irritated now!_  
  
  
“I didn’t ask for this!” Keith almost shouted. He shook his groceries with a large rustling. “I don’t need any goddamn wishes granted!”  
  
  
“It’s not hard, so stop complicating it!” Lance leaned in more, his own eyes narrowed back. Keith wanted to beat his arrogant face in with his fists, but he could feel the faint reminder of Shiro’s future disappointment cutting through the red. If it weren’t for the 100 pounds of groceries he was still carrying, _why does my life always have to be the worst,_ Keith still would have tried for at least a black eye.  
  
  
Lance had taken a few obnoxiously deep breaths, only fanning Keith’s internal flames. “Look,” he said seriously, but patronizingly slowly. “All you have to do, Keith? Keith, is make three small, small, _tiiiiiny_ wishes and then the contract will be fulfilled and you can never see me again. You want those groceries at your house, Keith? In the goddamn fridge or whatever? Just ask me, and that’s one wish down!”  
  
  
_Just ask…_ Keith suddenly blanked out his face, rage hidden behind ice. Lance was hovering too close again, but he drifted back a bit to regard him with an appropriate expression of great suspicion. “So for you to grant my wish, I need to ask you.”

  
“Yeeeesss….” Lance answered slowly, every letter dripping with wariness. “I can feel when you want something badly enough to make a wish, but I can pretty much do nothing unless you specifically ask for it. For example!”  
  
  
Suddenly, his demeanor switched from skeptical to oily, and he spoke with a skeevy tone Keith bet meant Lance thought himself cunning. “I can feel that you are pretty sick of carrying those groceries, my man.” Lance hovered closer and higher, forcing him to look up, and Keith could feel uncomfortable clamminess run down his arm anew as the mist tendril draped around it. “Let me take care of it and we’ll only have two wishes to go…?” Lance’s voice ended on a trailing high note as Keith smiled fakely up at him, all teeth. _The satisfaction of throwing this maniac off his game almost makes up for how insufferable he is._  
  
  
“No thanks,” Keith said sweetly up at Lance’s bewildered face. “I don’t want any of your help.”  
  
  
Lance immediately moved down to hover at eye-level. “What the fuck, man, this is such an easy wish to make! Why not-!"  
  
  
“In fact,” Keith cut Lance off, still painfully sweet. His smile turned vicious. He leaned in close, enjoying watching Lance’s surprised eyes flit between his own narrowed eyes to try and read his next move. Keith dropped his voice to dark whisper. “I’m not going to make any wishes at all.”  
  


There was a moment of crystalline silence. The tension between them froze as Lance processed words Keith was gleefully certain the genie had never heard in his life. He watched with triumph as Lance’s brow furrowed, his eyes almost starting to twitch.

  
Finally, Lance’s mouth dropped open.  
  
  
“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK YOU MOTHER FUCKING –“  
  
  
The screeching suddenly cut off as Lance popped out of existence. Keith calmly watched the wisps of grey smoke remaining float away into the bright summer air. He thought he might be in shock from encountering a magical being for the first time in his life, because his only reaction was pure, cutthroat satisfaction.  
  
  
It faded into wariness as Keith waited for a minute, but nothing else insane happened. Lance the idiot genie didn’t reappear, and Keith still had bangs plastered to his forehead in the sweaty heat, itching his now stress-dry eyes. The bracelet was still a band of coolness against his bicep.  
  
  
One of his grocery bags gave and an eggplant hit the ground with a faint thump. Keith carefully looked down, dazed, and watches it be completely normal and unmoving.  
  
  
_I think…_ he slowly scooped up his vegetable, almost overbalancing from his weightless groceries, and clutched it to his chest. _I think, I’m going to go home and lay down for a long time._

**Author's Note:**

> Do you ever want to write something short for your first fic and instead make something incredibly long even though you're not a writer  
> anyway
> 
> send me love & critiques! This is my first long work so I definitely need to be encouraged like a delicate flower~
> 
> may all your eggplants stay unbruised
> 
> \----  
> Keith's grocery budget has hit 0! Consider contributing [ here, my ko-fi page ](https://ko-fi.com/solairyte) ;) no pressure, he's fictional


End file.
